, 1887-04-16
A SPOOL OF THREAD.
Ii Cotton Goes Through Before It
Reaches the Needle

What Cotton Goes Through Before It
teaches tho Needle.
Few people ever stop to think of the
twistings and turnings and the various
processes that cotton fiber goes through
after it is taken from the pods before it is
wound up on a spool and ready for the
housewives needle. The. whole story is
told, however, in a small space in n Of
the cases in the hall in the National
museum given up to a exhibition of
textile fabrics. This is one of the many
object lessons in the museum, which,
combined, are intended to tell tie story
Of c man as he exists on tho earth.
First is shown q specimen of cotton in
tho pod just as it is picked, without hav-
ing the seed removed. Next is shown a
specimen of the same cotton after it has
been ginned and the black seeds have been
removed. The Sea Island cotton is used
for thread on account of the length of the
fiber. A sample of the sacking in which
tho cotton is baled is also shown. Then
the cotton is supposed to have been baled
and shipped to the thread factory. Here
tho first thing that is dono with the cot
ton is to subject it to the picker" pro-
cess, by which tho cotton from several
bales is mixed to secure uniformity. Dur
ing the picker process much waste, in the
form of dust, DIRT and short fbers, are
separated from the good fibers by tho
picker. Next the picked cotton is
wound on q machine, in sheets or laps,
into q roll.
The next process illustrated by a prac-
teal exhibit is the carding by which the
sheets of cotton are combed or run out
into long parallel fibers. The cotton is
next seen drawn through a trumpet
shaped opening, which condenses it into
n single strand or "silver." Then eight
such silvers are run together into one. six
of the strands thus produced arc drawn
into one, and again six of the strands
from the last drawing are combined into
one. Then comes the slubbing or fast
rowing" process, which consists of wind
ing the strand and bobbin. Two strands
arc twisted and again wound on n bobbin.
After a number of other twistings and
windings, during which the strand is
gradually reduced in size, until it begins
to assume q thread like appearance, two
strands of this fine "roving' are run to-
gother and twisted, under considerable
tension, on a bobbin that makes 1000
revolutions a minute. Two of tho cords
thus produced arc then wound together on
a spool, and her twisted from that to
another spool. The two cord thread thus
produced is transferred thence to another
spool, and then three threads of two cords
each are twisted together, forming six
cord thread.
One who has followed the process secs
the cotton gradually transformed from q
wide band or sheet of loose cotton to n
compact thread that will pass through
the eye of q needle. The six cord thread
is at last taken from q bobbin and reeled
into a skein, in which form it is Lleached
or dyed. Then it Is wound back upon
the skein upon a big spool, from which
it is supplied to little white birch spools
from which it is wound in regular
courses, and is then ready for the market.
Tho machine that regulates the last wind
ing measures the number Of yards wound
on each spool. The spools are made of
various sizes to hold from 200 to 10. 900
yards of thread. Tho labels that dec
crate the end of the spools when they are
sold are last put on. They are cut and
pasted on by machinery with great
rapidity W Star.